By Pamela Gentry, Senior Political Analyst

Aug. 17, 2009 – If President Obama folds on the public option he could very well fail to get the most venerable populations insured leaving  46 million Americans without insurance and faced with health care options they can’t afford.

The insurance industry has managed to use every possible tactic to frighten Americans into thinking a public option would  drive private insures out of business and be the precursor to a national health care program.  

The Obama administration hasn’t been able to effectively explain this complex issue and are now on the defense.  

During the campaign Obama made it clear he would not go for a “single payer” option used for Medicare program to make sure the insurance industry would  go along with the talk of reform.  But now the insurance industry wants to guarantee no competition in the market place, and they just might get their wish.

The signs became obvious over the weekend.  Secretary of Health and Human Service Kathleen Sebelius said a government –run insurance program wasn’t the “essential element” of reform.   White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told CBC’s Face the Nation,  the president still wants a public option, but in the end wants to have “choice and competition in the insurance market.”

An even bigger indicator was the what the president didn’t say during the town hall in Grand Junction, Colo,. on Saturday.  He defended the public option but indicated he was open to alternative approaches as long as they reduce cost, expand coverage and don’t add to the deficit. 

The president’s best arguments for a public option aren’t being heard and he needs a bigger bullhorn.  Here are excerpts from his remarks at the Grand Junction that build a strong case for the public option; 

“Insurance companies will no longer be able to place an arbitrary cap on the amount of coverage you can receive.”

“In the past few years, premiums have nearly doubled. And total out of pocket costs have increased by almost fifty percent – that’s more than $2,000 per person.”

“Almost 90 percent of individual health insurance policies have lifetime benefit limits. About a third of family plans in the individual insurance market have lifetime limits under $3 million. If you or your spouse or your child gets sick, and you hit that limit, suddenly it’s like you have no insurance at all.”

“Recent reports found that in the past few years, more than 12 million Americans were discriminated against by insurance companies because of a preexisting condition.”

By Pamela Gentry, Senior Political Analyst

March 3, 2009 – Monday’s appointment of Nancy Ann DeParle to serve as the White House lead on health care reform was particularly interesting to me.  You see, I once worked for DeParle back when she still hyphenated her name “Minn-De Parle.”

It only goes to show how small the Washington circle really can be.  I doubt DeParle remembers much about our almost two years together even though I reported directly to her. She was focused, and clearly on the fast track at Health and Human Services.

It’s no surprise she landed this post.

I recall when she came to the top spot as the administrator of the agency that runs the Medicare and Medicaid programs.  I was over the communications offices for the agency and she followed another highly-respected policy wonk, Bruce Vladeck.

There was always a distant rumor that she was eyeing the secretary post should then-Secretary Donna Schalala have made an early departure.  Of course Schalala stayed until the end of the Clinton Administration so that was never an issue.

DeParle’s landing this job is no surprise.  At age 29, she became Tennessee’s Commissioner of the Department of Human Services, one of the youngest folks to ever do so, and like others on the Obama team, she has the Clinton connections.

I remember her as a feisty and energetic colleague who juggled several balls in the air at one time.  She either liked you or she didn’t, and she sometimes had very little patience for the bureaucratic process.  It will be interesting to watch how she co-leads health care reform with Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and how persuasive she’ll be with Congress.

Sebelius, a two-term Democratic governor in a Republican state will most likely be the lead on congressional outreach, but DeParle will be called upon to do some arm-twisting in the health care industry and my guess is that will be her strong suit.

I’ll have to check in with her at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue once she settles in: Long-time-no-see, Nancy Ann.